Spray application method for treating a garment

ABSTRACT

Methods for treating a garment include: prewashing the garment; drying the garment in a first drying process; spraying a functional chemical onto the dried garment; and applying a curing treatment to the garment to cure the functional chemical. The method may further include drying the garment in a second drying process after spraying the functional chemical onto the garment.

RELATED APPLICATION

The present application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/492,737, filed May 1, 2017, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by this reference in its entirety.

FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE

The present disclosure relates to fabric treatment methods, and in particular to spray application methods for applying functional chemistries to fabrics.

BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE

Water repellency is a desirable property in many fabrics. For fabrics made from fibers that that have no natural water repellency properties, such as denim/cotton, water repellency can be applied to the fabric—or a garment including the fabric—by applying a water repellant chemistry treatment to the fabric/garment. Finished garments may be treated with water repellant chemicals in one of several processes, including padding, exhaust dyeing, dipping and wash wheel processes. Such garments have the water repellant treatment evenly applied throughout the garment, including the inner surface of the garment that faces or contacts the wearer, adversely affecting the breathability of the garment and making it heavier and stiffer than necessary. As a result, these garments are uncomfortable for the wearer.

To address this issue, water repellency can be imparted to only one side of a fabric by applying water repellant foam to the outer surface of the fabric, creating a gradient of the chemical that is concentrated on the outer surface of the fabric. Unfortunately, however, the foam treatment has an adverse effect on the aesthetics of the fabric, making the fabric undesirable to consumers from a fashion standpoint. In particular, the use of a foam treatment could limit the range of possibilities for aesthetic appearance, e.g., it could hinder the ability of the manufacturer to develop a desired appearance and/or could deteriorate an appearance that has already been achieved.

In some applications it may be desirable to impart properties other than water repellency to a garment. Such properties include flame retardancy and insect repellency.

These properties may be applied by applying an appropriate chemistry treatment to the fabric—or a garment including the fabric—according to the methods described above. Such treatment methods, however, suffer from the same problems as those used for imparting water repellency to the fabric/garment.

These and other shortcomings are addressed by aspects of the present disclosure.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

In the drawings, which are not necessarily drawn to scale, like numerals may describe similar components in different views. Like numerals having different letter suffixes may represent different instances of similar components. The drawings illustrate generally, by way of example, but not by way of limitation, various aspects discussed in the present document.

FIG. 1 is an illustration of a spray application method for treating a garment according to an aspect of the disclosure.

SUMMARY

Aspects of the disclosure relate to methods for treating a garment, comprising: prewashing the garment; drying the garment in a first drying process; spraying a functional chemical onto the dried garment; and applying a curing treatment to the garment to cure the functional chemical. In further aspects the method includes drying the garment in a second drying process after spraying the functional chemical onto the garment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present disclosure can be understood more readily by reference to the following detailed description of the disclosure and the Examples included therein. In various aspects, the present disclosure pertains to methods for treating a garment, including: prewashing the garment; drying the garment in a first drying process; spraying a functional chemical onto the dried garment; optionally drying the garment in a second drying process; and applying a curing treatment to the garment to cure the functional chemical.

Before the present compounds, compositions, articles, systems, devices, and/or methods are disclosed and described, it is to be understood that they are not limited to specific synthetic methods unless otherwise specified, or to particular reagents unless otherwise specified, as such can, of course, vary. It is also to be understood that the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular aspects only and is not intended to be limiting.

Various combinations of elements of this disclosure are encompassed by this disclosure, e.g., combinations of elements from dependent claims that depend upon the same independent claim.

Moreover, it is to be understood that unless otherwise expressly stated, it is in no way intended that any method set forth herein be construed as requiring that its steps be performed in a specific order. Accordingly, where a method claim does not actually recite an order to be followed by its steps or it is not otherwise specifically stated in the claims or descriptions that the steps are to be limited to a specific order, it is no way intended that an order be inferred, in any respect. This holds for any possible non-express basis for interpretation, including: matters of logic with respect to arrangement of steps or operational flow; plain meaning derived from grammatical organization or punctuation; and the number or type of aspects described in the specification.

All publications mentioned herein are incorporated herein by reference to disclose and describe the methods and/or materials in connection with which the publications are cited.

Definitions

It is also to be understood that the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular aspects only and is not intended to be limiting. As used in the specification and in the claims, the term “comprising” can include the aspects “consisting of” and “consisting essentially of” Unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure belongs. In this specification and in the claims which follow, reference will be made to a number of terms which shall be defined herein.

As used in the specification and the appended claims, the singular forms “a,” “an” and “the” include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Thus, for example, reference to “a functional chemical” includes mixtures of two or more functional chemicals.

As used herein, the term “combination” is inclusive of blends, mixtures, alloys, reaction products, and the like.

Ranges can be expressed herein as from one particular value, and/or to another particular value. When such a range is expressed, another aspect includes from the one particular value and/or to the other particular value. Similarly, when values are expressed as approximations, by use of the antecedent ‘about,’ it will be understood that the particular value forms another aspect. It will be further understood that the endpoints of each of the ranges are significant both in relation to the other endpoint, and independently of the other endpoint. It is also understood that there are a number of values disclosed herein, and that each value is also herein disclosed as “about” that particular value in addition to the value itself. For example, if the value “10” is disclosed, then “about 10” is also disclosed. It is also understood that each unit between two particular units are also disclosed. For example, if 10 and 15 are disclosed, then 11, 12, 13, and 14 are also disclosed.

As used herein, the terms “about” and “at or about” mean that the amount or value in question can be the value designated some other value approximately or about the same. It is generally understood, as used herein, that it is the nominal value indicated±10% variation unless otherwise indicated or inferred. The term is intended to convey that similar values promote equivalent results or effects recited in the claims. That is, it is understood that amounts, sizes, formulations, parameters, and other quantities and characteristics are not and need not be exact, but can be approximate and/or larger or smaller, as desired, reflecting tolerances, conversion factors, rounding off, measurement error and the like, and other factors known to those of skill in the art. In general, an amount, size, formulation, parameter or other quantity or characteristic is “about” or “approximate” whether or not expressly stated to be such. It is understood that where “about” is used before a quantitative value, the parameter also includes the specific quantitative value itself, unless specifically stated otherwise.

As used herein, the terms “optional” or “optionally” means that the subsequently described event or circumstance can or cannot occur, and that the description includes instances where said event or circumstance occurs and instances where it does not. For example, the phrase “optional second drying process” means that the second drying process may be included or may not be included, and that the description includes fabrics/garments made from a method that both includes the second drying process and that does not include the second drying process.

Disclosed are the components to be used to prepare the compositions of the disclosure as well as the compositions themselves to be used within the methods disclosed herein. These and other materials are disclosed herein, and it is understood that when combinations, subsets, interactions, groups, etc. of these materials are disclosed that while specific reference of each various individual and collective combinations and permutation of these compounds cannot be explicitly disclosed, each is specifically contemplated and described herein. For example, if a particular compound is disclosed and discussed and a number of modifications that can be made to a number of molecules including the compounds are discussed, specifically contemplated is each and every combination and permutation of the compound and the modifications that are possible unless specifically indicated to the contrary. Thus, if a class of molecules A, B, and C are disclosed as well as a class of molecules D, E, and F and an example of a combination molecule, A-D is disclosed, then even if each is not individually recited each is individually and collectively contemplated meaning combinations, A-E, A-F, B-D, B-E, B-F, C-D, C-E, and C-F are considered disclosed. Likewise, any subset or combination of these is also disclosed. Thus, for example, the sub-group of A-E, B-F, and C-E would be considered disclosed. This concept applies to all aspects of this application including, but not limited to, steps in methods of making and using the compositions of the disclosure. Thus, if there are a variety of additional steps that can be performed it is understood that each of these additional steps can be performed with any specific aspect or combination of aspects of the methods of the disclosure.

References in the specification and concluding claims to parts by weight of a particular element or component in a composition or article, denotes the weight relationship between the element or component and any other elements or components in the composition or article for which a part by weight is expressed. Thus, in a compound containing 2 parts by weight of component X and 5 parts by weight component Y, X and Y are present at a weight ratio of 2:5, and are present in such ratio regardless of whether additional components are contained in the compound.

As used herein the terms “weight percent,” “wt %,” and “wt. %,” which can be used interchangeably, indicate the percent by weight of a given component based on the total weight of the composition, unless otherwise specified. That is, unless otherwise specified, all wt % values are based on the total weight of the composition. It should be understood that the sum of wt % values for all components in a disclosed composition or formulation are equal to 100.

Unless otherwise stated to the contrary herein, all test standards are the most recent standard in effect at the time of filing this application.

Each of the materials disclosed herein are either commercially available and/or the methods for the production thereof are known to those of skill in the art.

It is understood that the compositions disclosed herein have certain functions. Disclosed herein are certain structural requirements for performing the disclosed functions and it is understood that there are a variety of structures that can perform the same function that are related to the disclosed structures, and that these structures will typically achieve the same result.

Methods for Treating a Garment

With reference to FIG. 1, aspects of the disclosure relate to methods for treating a garment 10, including: prewashing the garment, at step 100; drying the garment or a portion thereof in a first drying process, at step 200; spraying a functional chemical onto the dried garment or the dried portion, at step 300; and applying a curing treatment to the garment or the dried portion to cure the functional chemical, at step 400.

The methods described herein are applied to the garment after the garment has been constructed and desired aesthetics incorporated into the garment through wet and dry processing. As noted herein, the various steps of the process may be applied to the garment or a portion thereof so as to allow the functional chemical to be incorporated onto only a portion (or portions) of the garment.

In further aspects, the method includes, at step 500, drying the garment or a portion thereof in a second drying process following the step of spraying a functional chemical onto the dried garment. Thus the second drying process is optional in some aspects.

In some aspects the step 100 of prewashing the garment provides the garment with aesthetic properties and/or removes undesirable materials from the garment or from a fabric incorporated within the garment. The prewashing may be performed by washing the garment in a washing machine or other conventional washing apparatus. In some aspects, the prewashing may be performed for a time of from about 2 minutes to about 180 minutes, or in specific aspects for a time of from about 15 minutes to about 120 minutes.

The first drying process and/or the second drying process may be performed by placing the garment in, e.g., a tumble-drying apparatus or a thermal drying apparatus. In some aspects one or both of the first drying process and the second drying process may be performed for an amount of time necessary to dry the garment or portion thereof to a level desired for the next step in the process (i.e., application of the functional chemical and application of the curing treatment). In some aspects, the first drying process and the second drying process (if used) may be performed for a time of from about 15 minutes to about 90 minutes, or in specific aspects for a time of from about 30 minutes to about 60 minutes.

The step of spraying the functional chemical onto the garment or a portion thereof includes in some aspects applying a chemical to the garment that provides one or more of flame retardancy, hydrophilicity, hydrophobicity, softness, wrinkle resistance, insect repellency, breathability, air permeability, moisture wicking, water resistance, water proofing, wind resistance, wind proofing, thermal management, soil release, stain repellency, or material stabilization properties to the garment.

Thermal management properties include cooling properties and heating properties. Material stabilization properties include stretch enhancement properties, stretch recovery properties, compression enhancement properties and compression recovery properties. In some aspects, for example, a functional chemical that provides a compression finish could be sprayed onto the garment in one or more discrete portions of the garment, such that the discrete portion, when stretched, will recover its form faster than other portions of the garment.

In some aspects the garment includes an interior side proximate to a wearer of a garment and an exterior side distal to the wearer of the garment, and the functional chemical is sprayed onto one or both of the interior side and the exterior side of the garment or a portion thereof. In certain aspects it may be desirable to only apply the functional chemical to one side of the fabric or a portion thereof. For example, it may be desirable to apply the functional chemical (e.g., a water repellant chemical) to only the exterior side of the garment so that the interior side of the garment remains free of the chemical. In this manner, a gradient is provided to the garment/fabric such that the concentration of the functional chemical in the garment/fabric is low at the inner side of the garment/fabric and increases through the garment/fabric to a high concentration at the exterior side of the fabric. In other aspects the reverse gradient may be provided by treating only the interior side of the garment or a portion thereof.

In a particular aspect, the functional chemical is a water resistance or water proofing chemical, and the water resistance or water proofing chemical is sprayed onto only the exterior side of the garment or a portion thereof so that the exterior side of the garment will be water resistant or water proof, while the interior side of the garment remains free of the chemical and thus more comfortable for the wearer.

In certain aspects the functional chemical is applied by a manual spray process, a robotic spray process, a tumble machine spray process, or a combination thereof. It may be desirable in some aspects to tack closed or otherwise close openings of the garment (e.g., waist band and leg openings) to prevent the functional chemical from being applied to the interior side of the garment.

In a particular aspect the functional chemical is a chemical that provides water resistance or water proofing properties to the garment and includes a fluorochemical or a chemical that is free of perfluorinated chemical compounds (PFCs). In certain aspects, for environmental and other reasons it may be desirable for the functional chemical to be free of perfluorinated chemical compounds (PFCs), and in particular C6 PFCs.

In some aspects the functional chemical may be sprayed onto the garment for a time sufficient to apply between about 100 ml and about 1500 ml of the functional chemical onto the garment, or in particular aspects to apply between about 100 ml and about 1000 ml of the functional chemical onto the garment. The functional chemical may be sprayed onto the garment as a solution of the functional chemical in a suitable solvent. In some aspects the solution includes from about 2 wt. % to about 50 wt. % on weight of bath (OWB) of the functional chemical. In particular aspects the solution includes from about 2 wt. % to about 20 wt. % on weight of bath (OWB) of the functional chemical. In some aspects the solution including the functional chemical is sprayed onto the garment for a time of from about 1 minute to about 5 minutes. In particular aspects the solution including the functional chemical is sprayed onto the garment for a time of from about 1 minute to about 3 minutes.

Following application of the functional chemical to the garment or a portion thereof, it will be necessary in some aspects to cure the functional chemical in a curing process. Accordingly, the step of applying the curing treatment to the garment or a portion thereof at step 400 includes curing the functional chemical in any suitable curing process. In some aspects applying the curing treatment to the garment or the dried portion causes the functional chemical to cure on the garment or portion thereof. In some aspects, the curing process is thermal curing process, an ultraviolet (UV) curing process, an infrared (IR) process, a microwave process, a plasma curing process, a laser curing process, or a combination thereof. The curing time can vary widely depending on the curing process that is used. For example, in a traditional thermal curing or UV curing process the curing process may be applied for about 2 to about 30 minutes, or in specific aspects from about 2 minutes to about 15 minutes. For exemplary laser or plasma curing processes, however, it may only be necessary to apply the curing process to the garment for a few seconds.

The curing treatment could, in some aspects, also function to at least partially dry the garment. For example, if the optional step of drying the garment in a second drying process is not used, the garment, following the step of spraying the functional chemical onto the garment, will be wet when the curing process is started, and the initial curing process may function to at least partially dry the garment. In such aspects the curing time may need to be increased to allow for at least partial drying of the garment during the curing process.

Aspects of the disclosure also related to an article (e.g., a finished garment) formed according to the methods described herein.

Garments that may be treated according to the methods described herein include, but are not limited to jeans, pants, a shirt, a sweatshirt or a jacket. In some aspects the garment includes a breathable fabric such that the garment is also breathable. The garment could include any fabric that will accept the spray application of the functional chemical. In certain aspects the fabric includes fibers selected from natural fibers, synthetic fibers, or a combination thereof. In particular aspects the fibers include cotton fibers, wool fiber, silk fibers, viscose fibers, rayon fibers, modacrylic fibers, polyester fibers, nylon fibers, elastane (e.g., Lycra® or spandex) fibers, blends thereof, and combinations thereof.

Various combinations of elements of this disclosure are encompassed by this disclosure, e.g., combinations of elements from dependent claims that depend upon the same independent claim.

Aspects of the Disclosure

In various aspects, the present disclosure pertains to and includes at least the following aspects.

Aspect 1: A method for treating a garment, comprising:

-   -   prewashing the garment;     -   drying the garment or a portion thereof in a first drying         process;     -   spraying a functional chemical onto the dried garment or dried         portion thereof and     -   applying a curing treatment to the garment or portion thereof to         cure the functional chemical.

Aspect 2: The method according to Aspect 1, further comprising drying the garment or a portion thereof in a second drying process after spraying the functional chemical onto the garment or a portion thereof.

Aspect 3: The method according to Aspect 1 or 2, wherein the functional chemical is a chemical that provides one or more of flame retardancy, hydrophilicity, hydrophobicity, softness, wrinkle resistance, insect repellency, breathability, air permeability, moisture wicking, water resistance, water proofing, wind resistance, wind proofing, thermal management, soil release, stain repellency, or material stabilization properties to the garment.

Aspect 4: The method according to any of Aspects 1 to 3, wherein the garment comprises an interior side proximate to a wearer of a garment and an exterior side distal to the wearer of the garment, and the functional chemical is sprayed onto one or both of the interior side and the exterior side of the garment or portion thereof.

Aspect 5: The method according to any of Aspects 1 to 4, wherein the garment comprises a fabric, wherein the fabric comprises fibers selected from natural fibers, synthetic fibers, or a combination thereof.

Aspect 6: The method according to Aspect 5, wherein the fibers comprise cotton fibers, wool fiber, silk fibers, viscose fibers, rayon fibers, modacrylic fibers, polyester fibers, nylon fibers, elastane fibers, blends thereof, and combinations thereof.

Aspect 7: The method according to any of Aspects 1 to 6, wherein the garment comprises an exterior side distal to the wearer of the garment, and the functional chemical provides water resistance or water proofing properties to the exterior side of the garment or a portion thereof.

Aspect 8: The method according to any of Aspects 1 to 7, wherein the garment comprises a breathable fabric.

Aspect 9: The method according to any of Aspects 1 to 8, wherein the garment comprises jeans, pants, a shirt, a sweatshirt or a jacket.

Aspect 10: The method according to any of Aspects 1 to 9, wherein the prewashing provides the garment with aesthetic properties or removes undesirable materials from the garment or from a fabric incorporated within the garment.

Aspect 11: The method according to any of Aspects 1 to 10, wherein the first drying process or the second drying process comprises a tumble-drying process or a thermal drying process.

Aspect 12: The method according to any of Aspects 1 to 11, wherein the spraying comprises a manual spray process, a robotic spray process, a tumble machine spray process, or a combination thereof.

Aspect 13: The method according to any of Aspects 1 to 12, wherein the functional chemical is free of perfluorinated chemical compounds (PFCs), and in particular C6 PFCs.

Aspect 14: The method according to any of Aspects 1 to 13, wherein the curing treatment comprises a thermal curing process, an ultraviolet (UV) curing process, an infrared (IR) process, a microwave process, a plasma curing process, a laser curing process, or a combination thereof.

Aspect 15: The method according to any of Aspects 1 to 14, wherein the functional chemical is a chemical that provides water resistance or water proofing properties to the garment or a portion thereof and comprises a fluorochemical or a chemical that is free of perfluorinated chemical compounds (PFCs).

Aspect 16: The method according to any of Aspects 1 to 15, wherein the prewashing is performed for a time of from about 2 minutes to about 180 minutes.

Aspect 17: The method according to any of Aspects 1 to 16, wherein one or both of the first drying process and the second drying process are performed for a time of from about 15 minutes to about 90 minutes.

Aspect 18: The method according to any of Aspects 1 to 17, wherein the functional chemical is sprayed onto the garment or a portion thereof for a time sufficient to apply between about 100 ml and about 1500 ml of the functional chemical onto the garment.

Aspect 19: The method according to any of Aspects 1 to 18, wherein applying a curing treatment to the garment or portion thereof causes the functional chemical to cure on the garment or portion thereof.

Aspect 20: An article formed according to the method of any of Aspects 1 to 19.

Aspect 21: The article according to Aspect 20, wherein:

the garment includes fabric formed of 100% cotton, blends of cotton and synthetic Spandex, or blends of cotton and modified synthetic yarns;

the functional chemical provides water repellency properties to the garment;

the garment has a water repellency rating of from about 60 to about 100 when tested in accordance with AATCC Test Method 22; and

the garment has a vertical wicking of from about 4 centimeters (cm) to about 10 cm after 30 minutes when tested in accordance with AATCC Test Method 197.

EXAMPLES

The following examples are put forth so as to provide those of ordinary skill in the art with a complete disclosure and description of how the compounds, compositions, articles, devices and/or methods claimed herein are made and evaluated, and are intended to be purely exemplary and are not intended to limit the disclosure. Efforts have been made to ensure accuracy with respect to numbers (e.g., amounts, temperature, etc.), but some errors and deviations should be accounted for. Unless indicated otherwise, parts are parts by weight, temperature is in ° C. or is at ambient temperature, and pressure is at or near atmospheric. Unless indicated otherwise, percentages referring to composition are in terms of wt %.

There are numerous variations and combinations of reaction conditions, e.g., component concentrations, desired solvents, solvent mixtures, temperatures, pressures and other reaction ranges and conditions that can be used to optimize the product purity and yield obtained from the described process. Only reasonable and routine experimentation will be required to optimize such process conditions.

Example 1

Garments including fabrics formed of 100% cotton, blends of cotton and synthetic Spandex, and blends of cotton and modified synthetic yarns may be constructed and have desired aesthetics incorporated into the garment through wet and/or dry processing. The process described herein may then be applied to the garments, including: prewashing the garments, drying the garments in a first drying process; spraying a functional chemical onto the dried garments; drying the garment in a second drying process; and applying a curing treatment to the garment to cure the functional chemical. The functional chemical may be a water repellency or water proofing chemical.

The garments may be tested for water repellency in accordance with AATCC Test Method 22 and for vertical wicking in accordance with AATCC Test Method 197. The garments have a water repellency rating of from about 60 to about 100, and a vertical wicking of from about 4 centimeters (cm) to about 10 cm after 30 minutes.

Example 2

Fabrics according to the method described herein were formed and their water repellency was compared to similar fabrics treated according to conventional methods. The fabrics of Example 1 (Ex.1) and Comparative Example 1 (C.1) included 70% cotton and 30% polyester. The fabrics of Example 2 (Ex.2) and Comparative Example 2 (C.2) included 70% cotton, 29% polyester and 1% Spandex. A functional chemical was applied to the fabrics of Example 1 and Example 2 according to methods described herein with a low volume spray (one spray pass, Ex. 1A and Ex.2A) and a high volume spray (two spray passes, Ex.1B and Ex.2B). A functional chemical was applied to comparative fabrics C.1 and C.2 using a conventional method in which the chemical was sprayed onto the fabrics while the fabrics were tumbled in a washer, and then the fabrics were extracted (i.e., excess water and chemical spun out of fabrics), dried and the functional chemical cured. The example fabrics and comparative fabrics were dried and cured under the same conditions. The amount of functional chemical applied to the fabrics of Ex.1B and Ex.2B was about the same as that applied to comparative fabrics C.1 and C.2; about half that amount of functional chemical was applied to the fabrics of Ex.1A and Ex.2A. The results are shown in Table 1.

TABLE 1 Water Repellency AATCC Test Method 22 Water repellency Fabric (AATCC Test Method 22) Ex. 1A (low volume spray) 100 Ex. 1B (high volume spray) 100 C. 1 (spray with tumble in washer) 70 Ex. 2A (low volume spray) 90 Ex. 2B (high volume spray) 100 C. 2 (spray with tumble in waster) 85

For the AATCC Test Method 22 water repellency test, water is sprayed for 25-30 seconds against the taut surface of test specimen under controlled conditions (a total of 250 ml water is sprayed), and a wetted pattern of the specimen is compared to pictures on a standard chart. The test produces experimental values ranging from 0 to 100, with 100 indicating complete repellency and 0 indicating no repellency.

As shown in the test results, example fabrics had superior water repellency as compared to the comparative fabrics tumbled in the washer (compare Ex.1A and Ex.1B to comparative fabric C.1, and compare Ex.2A and Ex.2B to comparative fabric C.2).

Example 3

Fabrics were formed from 100% cotton fibers and treated with different functional chemistries according to the inventive methods described herein. Two of the functional chemicals were C6 perfluorinated chemical compounds (PFCs) (C6 PFC-A, Ex.3 and C6 PFC-B, Ex.4), and the third chemical was free of PFCs (Ex.5). All fabrics were dried and cured under the same conditions. The fabrics were laundered a specified number of times in accordance with AATCC Test Method 143 (Appearance of Apparel and Other Textile End Products After Home Laundering (HL)) and their water repellency was determined according to AATCC Test Method 22. Results are shown in Table 2.

TABLE 2 Water Repellency AATCC Test Method 22 Example Chemistry 0 HL 1 HL 5 HL 10 HL 20 HL Ex. 3A C6 PFC-A 97 80 72 70 60 Ex. 4A C6 PFC-B 93 75 50 50 40 Ex. 5A PFC-free 97 70 46 40 40

As shown, the fabric of Ex.3A treated with C6 PFC-A exhibited very good water repellency properties even after 20 home launderings. The other two fabrics also had good water repellency with values that were similar to one another. The data suggests that functional chemicals applied using the inventive methods described herein are quite durable.

Example 4

The fabrics of Example 3 (Ex.3, Ex.4 and Ex.5) were also laundered in accordance with AATCC Test Method 143 and tested for aqueous liquid repellency in accordance with AATCC Test Method 193. A comparative untreated fabric formed from 100% cotton fibers (C.3) was also included in the analysis. The example fabrics and comparative fabrics were dried and cured under the same conditions. Results are shown in Table 3.

TABLE 3 Aqueous Liquid Repellency AATCC Test Method 193 Example Chemistry 0 HL 1 HL 5 HL 10 HL 20 HL Ex. 3B C6 PFC-A 11.5 10 8 8 3.8 Ex. 4B C6 PFC-B 11.5 8.5 3 2.5 2.5 Ex. 5B PFC-free 4.1 3.5 2.5 2.5 2.5 C. 3A N/A (untreated) 1.25 1 1 1 1

AATCC Test Method 193 is used to measure repellency of other liquids/materials, including those with lower surface tensions. In this method, different volumes of water and isopropyl alcohol (IPA) are mixed and provided different grade numbers. Four drops of the mixture are placed on the fabric and the repellency of the fabric is measured on a scale ranging from 0 to 12, with 12 indicating strong repellency and 0 indicating complete wetting.

From the data, it is seen that the fabric treated with C6 PFC-A (Ex.3B) had good repellency at up to 10 launderings. The other chemistries had good repellency after one laundering with moderate repellency (2.5-3) after multiple launderings. For comparison, the untreated fabric (C.3A) had substantially no repellency. The data shows that fabrics treated according to the inventive methods described herein can exhibit good repellency to liquids/materials other than water.

Example 5

The fabrics described above in Examples 3 and 4 were also laundered in accordance with AATCC Test Method 143 and tested for air permeability in accordance with ASTM D737. Results are shown in Table 4.

TABLE 4 Air Permeability ASTM D737 Example Chemistry 0 HL 5 HL 10 HL Ex. 3C C6 PFC - A 6.87 6.18 6.65 Ex. 4C C6 PFC - B 6.83 6.37 6.61 Ex. 5C PFC-free 6.73 6.44 6.19 C. 3B N/A (untreated) 6.91 6.89 6.64

Air permeability is measured by passing air through a fabric sample having a fixed inlet size (in this case 38 square centimeters, cm²). The faster the air moves through the fabric, the more breathable it is. Results in Table 4 are shown in cubic feet per minute (CFM).

From the data, in which the air permeability of the treated fabrics compares favorably to the untreated fabric (C.3B) at various laundering levels, it is evident that functional chemicals applied using the inventive methods described herein do not negatively affect the air permeability of the fabric.

Method examples described herein can be machine or computer-implemented at least in part. Some examples can include a computer-readable medium or machine-readable medium encoded with instructions operable to configure an electronic device to perform methods as described in the above examples. An implementation of such methods can include code, such as microcode, assembly language code, a higher-level language code, or the like. Such code can include computer readable instructions for performing various methods. The code may form portions of computer program products. Further, in an example, the code can be tangibly stored on one or more volatile, non-transitory, or non-volatile tangible computer-readable media, such as during execution or at other times. Examples of these tangible computer-readable media can include, but are not limited to, hard disks, removable magnetic disks, removable optical disks (e.g., compact disks and digital video disks), magnetic cassettes, memory cards or sticks, random access memories (RAMs), read only memories (ROMs), and the like.

The above description is intended to be illustrative, and not restrictive. For example, the above-described examples (or one or more aspects thereof) may be used in combination with each other. Other aspects can be used, such as by one of ordinary skill in the art upon reviewing the above description. The Abstract is provided to comply with 37 C.F.R. § 1.72(b), to allow the reader to quickly ascertain the nature of the technical disclosure. It is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims. Also, in the above Detailed Description, various features may be grouped together to streamline the disclosure. This should not be interpreted as intending that an unclaimed disclosed feature is essential to any claim. Rather, inventive subject matter may lie in less than all features of a particular disclosed aspect. Thus, the following claims are hereby incorporated into the Detailed Description as examples or aspects, with each claim standing on its own as a separate aspect, and it is contemplated that such aspects can be combined with each other in various combinations or permutations. The scope of the invention should be determined with reference to the appended claims, along with the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled. 

That which is claimed is:
 1. A method for treating a garment, comprising: prewashing the garment; drying the garment in a first drying process; spraying a functional chemical onto the dried garment; and applying a curing treatment to the garment to cure the functional chemical.
 2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising drying the garment in a second drying process after spraying the functional chemical onto the garment.
 3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the functional chemical is a chemical that provides one or more of flame retardancy, hydrophilicity, hydrophobicity, softness, wrinkle resistance, insect repellency, breathability, air permeability, moisture wicking, water resistance, water proofing, wind resistance, wind proofing, thermal management, soil release, stain repellency, or material stabilization properties to the garment.
 4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the garment comprises an interior side proximate to a wearer of a garment and an exterior side distal to the wearer of the garment, and the functional chemical is sprayed onto one or both of the interior side and the exterior side of the garment.
 5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the garment comprises a fabric, wherein the fabric comprises fibers selected from natural fibers, synthetic fibers, or a combination thereof.
 6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the fibers comprise cotton fibers, wool fiber, silk fibers, viscose fibers, rayon fibers, modacrylic fibers, polyester fibers, nylon fibers, elastane fibers, blends thereof, and combinations thereof.
 7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the garment comprises an exterior side distal to a wearer of the garment, and the functional chemical provides water resistance or water proofing properties to the exterior side of the garment.
 8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the garment comprises a breathable fabric.
 9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the garment comprises jeans, pants, a shirt, a sweatshirt or a jacket.
 10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the prewashing provides the garment with aesthetic properties or removes undesirable materials from the garment or from a fabric incorporated within the garment.
 11. The method according to claim 2, wherein the first drying process or the second drying process comprises a tumble-drying process or a thermal drying process.
 12. The method according to claim 1, wherein the spraying comprises a manual spray process, a robotic spray process, a tumble machine spray process, or a combination thereof.
 13. The method according to claim 1, wherein the functional chemical is free of perfluorinated chemical compounds (PFCs).
 14. The method according to claim 1, wherein the curing treatment comprises a thermal curing process, an ultraviolet (UV) curing process, an infrared (IR) process, a microwave process, a plasma curing process, a laser curing process, or a combination thereof.
 15. The method according to claim 1, wherein the functional chemical is a chemical that provides water resistance or water proofing properties to the garment and comprises a fluorochemical or a chemical that is free of perfluorinated chemical compounds (PFCs).
 16. The method according to claim 1, wherein the prewashing is performed for a time of from about 2 minutes to about 180 minutes.
 17. The method according to claim 2, wherein one or both of the first drying process and the second drying process are performed for a time of from about 15 minutes to about 90 minutes.
 18. The method according to claim 1, wherein the functional chemical is sprayed onto the garment for a time sufficient to apply between about 100 ml and about 1500 ml of the functional chemical onto the garment.
 19. An article formed according to the method of claim
 1. 20. The article according to claim 19, wherein: the garment includes fabric formed of 100% cotton, blends of cotton and synthetic Spandex, or blends of cotton and modified synthetic yarns; the functional chemical provides water repellency properties to the garment; the garment has a water repellency rating of from about 60 to about 100 when tested in accordance with AATCC Test Method 22; and the garment has a vertical wicking of from about 4 centimeters (cm) to about 10 cm after 30 minutes when tested in accordance with AATCC Test Method
 197. 